What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd April 2021.

The 73rd Directors Guild of America Awards were held on 10th April this year to honour the outstanding Directorial achievement in feature films, documentary, television and commercials of 2020. 

This years winners and nominees in the film category are as given below :-

Feature Film

* Awarded to CHLOE ZHAO for 'NOMADLAND', beating out Lee Isaac Chung for 'Minari', Emerald Fennell for 'Promising Young Woman', David Fincher for 'Mank' and Aaron Sorkin for 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'.

Documentaries

* Awarded to MICHAEL DWECK and GREGORY KERSHAW for 'THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS', beating out Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed for 'My Octopus Teacher', David France for 'Welcome to Chechnya', Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss for 'Boys State' and Benjamin Ree for 'The Painter and the Thief'.

First-Time Feature Film

* Awarded to DARIUS MARDER for 'SOUND OF METAL', beating out Radha Blank for 'The 40-Year-Old Version', Fernando Frias de la Parra for 'I'm No Longer Here', Regina King for 'One Night in Miami...' and Florian Zeller for 'The Father'.

For the full run down on the television and commercials awards too as presented at this years 73rd annual DGA Awards, you can go to the official website at : https://www.dga.org

Turning back to this weeks five latest release new films coming to your local Odeon, we kick off with the third instalment in a martial arts fantasy offering based on a hugely popular video game, that sees an MMA fighter join forces with the greatest warriors in a high stakes battle for the universe. Next up is a story of a psychiatrist whose life gets turned upside down when a patient takes her own life and he introduces her brother to his own family. This is followed by a film set seventeen days before WWII, when an English teacher and his camera disappear on a coastal boarding school with twenty German teenage girls, and six days later, an agent posing as a teacher secretly attempts to find out what happened. Then we have a biographical drama film concerning the Federal Bureau of Narcotics who launch an undercover sting operation against famed jazz singer Billie Holiday during the 1940's. And we close out the week with a documentary about a Washington Post journalist who disappeared in Istanbul, with his fiancee and dissidents around the world piecing together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'MORTAL KOMBAT' (Rated R18+) - is an American martial arts fantasy film directed by Simon McQuoid, in his feature film making debut, from a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham and a story by Oren Uziel and Russo. It is based on the video game franchise of the same name created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, serving as a reboot to the 'Mortal Kombat' film series which first launched with 'Mortal Kombat' in 1995 and Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and 'Mortal Kombat : Annihilation' in 1997 Directed by John R. Leonetti. This third instalment in the franchise languished in development hell for almost twenty years before James Wan was announced as a Producer in August 2015 and McQuoid was hired to Direct in November 2016. Production took place at Adelaide Studios in Adelaide and at other locations in South Australia during the last three months of 2019. The film saw its international release in early April, in the US and Australia from this week, has so far taken US$20M off the back of a production budget somewhere between US$50 and $95M and has generated mixed Reviews.

And so, here MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan), is accustomed to taking a beating for money, but is unaware of his heritage, or why Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung (Chin Han) has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) at the direction of Jax (Mehcad Brooks), a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano (Ludi Lin, Max Huang and Josh Lawson respectively), as he prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock the immense power from within his soul, in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?

'EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE' (Rated MA15+) - this American thriller offering is Directed by Vaughn Stein in only his third film making outing after 2018's 'Terminal' and 2020's 'Inheritance'. And so here we have psychiatrist Phillip (Casey Affleck), whose career is thrown into jeopardy when his patient takes her own life. When he invites his patient's surviving brother James (Sam Claflin) into his home to meet his wife Grace (Michelle Monaghan) and daughter, his family life is suddenly torn apart. The film was released in the US earlier this month to largely unfavourable Reviews.

'SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT' (Rated M) - here we have a British WWII drama film Directed by Andy Goddard in his third feature film offering following 2014's 'Set Fire to the Stars' and 2016's 'A Kind of Murder', and over the last twenty years or so he has directed numerous TV shows including 'Taggart', 'Torchwood', 'Law & Order : UK', 'Downton Abbey', 'Daredevil', 'Luke Cage', 'The Punisher' and 'Altered Carbon'. This film is based on a screenplay by Goddard, Eddie Izzard and Celyn Jones. In the summer of 1939, influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to a finishing school in an English seaside town to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. The establishment is under surveillance by the British secret service, with a British agent Thomas Miller (Eddie Izzard), masquerading as a school teacher,  who is looking to uncover a plot to repatriate the pupils and discover what happened to his predecessor, who has disappeared. He also sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm, but the authorities believe he is the problem. Also starring Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, James D'Arcy and David Schofield. Released in the UK in late March, the film has so far grossed US$362K and has generated mixed or average Reviews so far. 

'THE UNITED STATES vs. BILLIE HOLIDAY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American biographical film based on the 2015 book 'Chasing the Scream : The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs' by Johann Hari, and is Directed and Co-Produced by Lee Daniels whose prior film making credits take in 2005's 'Shadowboxer', 2009's 'Precious', 2012's 'The Paperboy' and 2013's 'Lee Daniels' The Butler'. The legendary Billie Holiday (Andra Day), one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. During the 1940's the Federal Department of Narcotics targeted her with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes), with whom she had a tumultuous affair, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial song 'Strange Fruit'. Inspired by her life story, the film intimately examines her struggles with addiction, fame and heartbreaking love. This film was released Stateside in late February, has so far collected six award wins and another twenty nominations including an Oscar nod for Andra Day for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and has garnered mixed or average Reviews. 

'THE DISSIDENT' (Rated M) - this American documentary film is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Bryan Fogel who also performed the same three roles on his previous two features 2012's comedy romance 'Jewtopia' and 2017's doco 'Icarus'. The film follows the assassination of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in early October 2018 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and Saudi Arabia's effort to control international dissent. Central to the documentary is the story of the Saudi activist and video blogger, Omar Abdulaziz. While a CIA report released by the Biden administration implicated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the death of Khashoggi, the Director believes the prince will never face an Interpol arrest warrant or formal investigation considering the vast amount of wealth he owns. This film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2020, was released in the US at Christmas 2020 and now gets a limited showing in Australia having taken just US$62K at the Box Office but has received widespread critical acclaim. It has also picked up four award wins and another ten nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit. 

With five new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the coming week, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 26th February - 4th March 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

James Wan does on 26th February (although some publications claim 27th) - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 40, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 26th February

• James Wan - Born 1977, turns 40 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Teresa Palmer - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actress | Producer | Writer 

Monday 27th February

• Kate Mara - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress
• Timothy Spall - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer  

Tuesday 28th February

• John Turturro - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer  

Wednesday 1st March

• Roger Daltry - Born 1944, turns 73 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor | Producer
• Dirk Benedict - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor | Director | Writer
• Ron Howard - Born 1954, turns 63 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Zack Snyder - Born 1966, turns 51 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Javier Bardem - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer  
• Lupita Nyong'o - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress

Thursday 2nd March

• Rebel Wilson - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Bryce Dallas Howard - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actress | Writer | Director
• Jon Bon Jovi - Born 1962, turns 55 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor
• Daniel Craig - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer  

Friday 3rd March

• George Miller - Born 1945, turns 72 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Miranda Richardson - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress
• Jessica Biel - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer  

Saturday 4th March

• Patsy Kensit - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress  
• Adrian Lyne - Born 1941, turns 76 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Paul W.S. Anderson - Born 1965, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Len Wiseman - Born 1973, turns 44 - Director | Producer | Writer

James Wan was born in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia and is of Malaysian Chinese descent. He relocated to Perth in Western Australia at age seven and ultimately became an Australian citizen. He attended the Lake Tuggeranong College in the Australian Capital Territory for Years 11 and 12 students (aged 16 - 18 years), moved back to Perth and then relocated himself to Melbourne, Victoria where he attended the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. By this time his mind was made up that he wanted to be a film maker (a decision he had in fact come to at age eleven), and while studying he had already begun making short films and music videos. It was whilst at RMIT that he met fellow would-be film maker Leigh Whannel, with whom he would collaborate on a number of his feature length movie projects over the ensuing years.

Wan made his first feature length film in 2000 for which he also wrote the Screenplay - 'Stygian' which won the young Director the 'Best Guerrilla Film' Award at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival. Following this Wan and Whannel had begun writing up a script for a horror film, and upon completion of the script they wanted to film an excerpt which they could then tout around the movie studios in the hope that a production company would pick up their story and run with it. That ten minute short film was titled 'Saw' and it was 2003. In 2004, having been picked up by a Lionsgate 'Saw' was released on an unsuspecting world and was an overwhelming success. Starring Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Tobin Bell and Leigh Whannel to minimise production costs, the film was shot rapidly at a cost of just US$1.2M. The film returned US$104M and spawned a franchise that has become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time that has seen all seven films gross worldwide US$874M off the back of a combined budget of US$64M. Wan served as Executive Producer on 'Saw II, III, IV, V, VI' and 'Saw 3D : The Final Chapter' released every year from 2005 through to 2010, and he also wrote the story for 'Saw III'. Wan is also Executive Producer on 'Saw : Legacy' currently in post-production for an October release this year and as Directed by the Spierig brothers.

2007 saw Wan Direct two films. The first was supernatural psychological horror 'Dead Silence' Written by Wan and Whannel and starring Ryan Kwanten and Donnie Wahlberg. The film received generally negative Reviews and just about recovered its US$20M budget outlay. This was followed up by action drama 'Death Sentence' - described by Wan as a 'raw and gritty, '70's styled revenge thriller' that starred Kevin Bacon as the protagonist with Garrett Hedlund, John Goodman, Kelly Preston and Leigh Whannel. This film also received generally unfavourable Reviews and recovered just US$17M of its US$20M production budget.

After serving as Executive Director on a string of 'Saw' sequels, Wan Directed the supernatural horror film 'Insidious' in 2010 that was written by Leigh Whannel, and starred Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey and Whannel. That film cost US$1.5M to make and returned US$97M ensuring its success as a franchise with 'Insidious : Chapter 2' being released in 2013. Again Directed by Wan that saw the cast from the first film return, on a budget of US$5M generating US$162M. 'Insidious : Chapter 3' was again Written by Whannel and Produced this time by Wan with Whannel on Directing duty for the first time. This film that served as a prequel to the previous two, was made for US$10M and returned US$113M. 'Insidious : Chapter 4' is currently in post-production for a release later this year and is Directed by Adam Robitel with Wan taking a Producer credit and Whannel Screenwriter and acting credits on the film.

Next up was supernatural horror film based on real events 'The Conjuring'. Recounting the story of the Perron family who experience increasingly disturbing events in their Rhode Island farmhouse in 1971 and paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who come to the assistance of the distressed Perron family. Starring Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson the film was a commercial and critical success taking US$318M from its US$20M budget, making it one of the highest grossing horror films of all time. 'The Conjuring 2' was released in 2016 as a sequel to that first film that saw Wan act as Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer in this follow up set in 1977 as the Warren paranormal investigators (Farmiga and Wilson reprising) travel to London to investigate the case that became known as the 'Enfield Poltergeist'. That film returned US$321M from its US$40M budget costs.

In the meantime in 2014, there had been a spin-off prequel to the popular 'The Conjuring' film inspired by the doll named 'Annabelle' that had been recounted by Ed and Lorraine Warren during their investigations. Wan took a Producer role on 'Annabelle' that received less critical acclaim but nonetheless was a commercial success raising US$260M in Box Office receipts against a US$6.5M outlay. A follow up film is in post-production for an August release this year that focuses on the dollmaker and his wife and stars Anthony LaPaglia and Miranda Otto, that is again Produced by Wan.

Taking a step aside from supernatural horror thrillers Wan Directed fast cars action drama film 'Furious 7' in 2015 starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Djimon Hounsou and Michelle Rodriguez. The film was a massive worldwide hit taking US$1.52B from its US$176M budget and standing currently as the sixth highest grossing film of all time, and the most successful in the franchise to date. 

Meanwhile Wan also had time to Produce supernatural horror 'Demonic' with Maria Bello in 2015, and in 2016 'Lights Out' with Teresa Palmer. He also Directed one episode of the rebooted television series 'MacGyver' and has served as Producer on sixteen episodes to date.

Next up for Wan is 'The Nun' which is a spin off film from the 'Annabelle' series which is a spin off film from 'The Conjuring' series and is currently in pre-production for a mid-2018 release with Wan Producing and Writing. Also in pre-production with filming due to commence soon is 'Aquaman' for the DC Extended Universe with Wan on Director duty and taking a Writing credit too. The film will star Jason Mamoa in the lead role with Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, and Temuera Morrison all attached, and is due for release in October 2018. 'Mortal Kombat' has been announced for a reboot recently and Wan is set to Produce this remake of the 1995 initial video game adaptation offering.

All up Wan has seventeen Producer credits to his name, fourteen as Writer and thirteen as Director.  He also has ten award wins and nine other nominations under this belt. In 2011 he released his own graphic novel too written with Michael Nelson, 'Malignant Man' which 20th Century Fox acquired the film rights for in 2014. Wan is adapting his source material for the big screen, the adaptation of which he will Produce, with Brad Peyton signing on to Direct.

James Wan - wrote himself into the history books and redefined the genre with several hugely commercially and critically successful horror franchises, and an epic seventh film in a street racing heist fuelled action franchise, and, is about to launch a new stand alone ocean based Superhero as part of the DCEU. When he's not Directing, he's Producing or he's Writing and he's even been known to tackle all three at once! Clearly very much in demand and proving he can jump from his trademark scare the bejeezus out of us supernatural horror offerings to big budget epic fare, and back again. A very Happy 40th Birthday to you James, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-